Work Text
Splash
- Oiii….Soonyoung dodges to the side, almost too skillfully, having got used to this from such a long time ago. Yet he still turn towards Jihoon with a fake pained expression, something he know the other loves to see.Splash. Splash. Splash. Jihoon continues to step all over the puddles, laughing, looking ultimately satisfied when water splashed all over the almost-30-year-old beside who is whining like a child who just turned 3. He knows Soonyoung is just faking the annoyance, but this old joke has never run out of joy.- Look at this, people - Soonyoung whines loudly - this is the reality of dating for a month versus dating for 10 years, the stark contrast! God, I am not even treated like a man anymore, my dignity, god, my dignity all goneeeee.- Hahahaha…- Stop it you grandpa… Don’t you pity your hard-working husband, working from dawn to night to provide us an adequate life? God, what do I do… not only am I being bullied, I am being laughed in the face by my own, dear husband. Oh, the betrayal….Jihoon really can’t stop laughing.- Haha… god, stop, Soonyoung…. I can’t breathe…The shoes on Jihoon’s feet are now soaked, the boots on Hoshi’s were already wet and muddy, but they couldn’t care less. If there are any passerby on this empty dirt track, all they would see is two figures, one short one tall toppling over with laughter, the sound crashing into ocean waves, broken into light, airy sounds... Soonyoung really doesn’t care about his muddy boots, afterall they were already stained since the afternoon, he thinks. As there was a sudden downpour in the afternoon, the tangerine garden became muddy, Seungkwan had to scramble to cover. Slowly, he and Soonyoung had brought baskets after baskets of tangerine in, Jihoon was supposed to help, but he had dozed off since noon, and as he woke, not only had the tangerine already been harvested, the trees already covered, but Seungkwan had already brought back meat to cook dinner.After filling up their stomaches, they talks until the moon hangs high, Soonyoung drags Jihoon home once again, whistling along the road. All of a sudden he turns towards the man beside him, shorter by half of a head, starts humming a melody from a song that Soonyoung cannot remember the lyrics anymore – Jihoon walks along, like a ball of soft yellow fur rolling behind, joyfully despite not showing it. A smile stretches over Soonyoung’s face, his eyes disappears into thin lines. Besides him, Jihoon looks back, nodding to the slightly off-tune, happy melody that were being hummed. No words are exchanged along the walk, just together, steps after steps, side by side.Soonyoung suddenly feels so happy, so intensely he thinks the sea and the island feel the same. Ever since he first met Jihoon, happiness sometimes comes in waves, out of nowhere, suddenly.- Hey Jihoon?- What?- Do you only steps in puddles when you are with me, or do you do that to everyone?- Hmphh… if I say I do it with everyone, will you get jealous?- Stop it…. – Soonyoung says, weakly.And just like that, they continues to laugh, the twinkles in their smiles, on the waves far away.~ Hoshi… Hoshi……… Hoshi-ah…….Jihoon hums as he walks, calling out Soonyoung’s old name inside his head. It’s nothing new, he had heard melodies since the first time he introduced his name. After a month, after years, he still hums it in his head when he’s beside Soonyoung, then waits for Soonyoung to say something, as if he can hears the call and speaks in reply, files that habit in his long secret list of mysterious-habits-just-for-Kwon-Soonyoung.Stepping in puddles and wetting Soonyoung is also an item on that endless list, and since it’s confidential (as in limited to Jihoon and Jihoon alone), Soonyoung will never know about the reason behind it, Jihoon things, satisfied with himself.It’s dumb. Yet it’s happy. Jihoon also once thought about the way other couples found their ways to happiness. He tried searching on the Internet, ended up reading weird romance novels, decided those weren’t for them. Just because of curiosity, Jihoon reasoned. (Just for curiosity, though if Soonyoung ends up knowing about it, Jihoon will be the one subjected to teases for the rest of his life, so he is taking this to his grave). And yet afterall, Jihoon felt contented with this kind of dumb happiness, it was hard to understand, but that’s all it has ever been since the very beginning, so he let it be. Jihoon shuffles around, still humming, eyes turning into cresents as a smile slips through. From the very beginning, huh. .That time, Jihoon had been a waiter at a bar in the ownership of the Xu. They called it “waiter”, but he was also responsible for breaking up fights and cleaning up messes. The manager had been doubtful when he took Jihoon in, given his small figure and all, yet now, which was 5 days later, he had already snatched the “excellent employee” token. The owner was already starting to hint that Jihoon should move onto being the “security”. Jihoon assumed it was due to his sense of responsibility, a thought that even 10 years later the sorrowful man of Kwon Soonyoung still cannot change, Jihoon remaining oblivious to his dangerousness every time it comes to violence…. But overall, Jihoon of the past did his job swiftly, cleanly, silently, mostly because of his targets becoming unconscious too fast for people around to notice them being gone. With that being dealt with, Jihoon just needed to grab the guy’s friends or something, then told them dude’s knocked out after getting drunk. It was even easier if the target came alone, then he just needed to throw them out in the alley behind the bar, where the trash bins could take nice care of those trash. Nothing too hard, all in all, Jihoon even thought he would stay for a while, with how swiftly things had gone. - Oi, get lost shortie, ya in my way. – Well, there came Jihoon’s first job of the night, one dude who was wincing and nagging around, nothing out of the usual. But calling him shortie is a bit touchy, you know, so he decided to speak back.- Hey, geezer, calling people shorties when you got thick insoles is a bit hypocritical, you know? – Jihoon lowered his tone for a bit, annoyed but wanting to keep this quiet, got a job and all. This geezer seemed to be tagging along quite a few people, so he better get this quick before things escalated. Annoying.- HAHAHAHAHAHA – One kid with a baby face right behind Jihoon’s back started to cackle. Rude kid, Jihoon though, turning to give him a death glare.- In… Insoles…. Oh my god this is so shameful… Dude, your dignity… Hahaha…. How do you even live with all these shame oh my god…. Well, the kid obviously did not see Jihoon’s death glare, his eyes were closed, there were only two tiny lines left, tilting up like a weird clock at 10:10. Strangely, Jihoon did not feel annoyed, the kid’s face was actually funny. It had been a while since he felt that, he thought he was going to burst out laughing along.*Smash*Well, in contrary to Jihoon, insole-dude obviously did not find the rude kid’s face funny. What followed was a big mess, so there went Jihoon’s job on day number 5. .A couple of hours later, or something, Jihoon wasn’t sure, he found himself walking beside the rude kid from before, towards the lit city square. There were just the two of them walking at the time, and if there was still some guys painstakingly chasing after them, then nothing could be done except to turn around and smash their heads on the concrete, Jihoon guessed, he was too tired to run more. It was such a shitty first meeting, Jihoon thought, and yet found himself smiling at the same time.It was strangely so natural, Jihoon never noticed he was having fun. He look towards the kids staggering next to him, taller than him by half a head, eyes still closed into thin lines, except now he was just giggling instead of full-out laughing like before. Jihoon still wanted to laugh when he look at the gym – a kind of joy that not only reached the eyes, but went straight over them.- Hey rude kid.- Uhm, yes? – Rude kid was still giggling, didn’t even notice that he was being called “rude”.- Name? – Jihoon suddenly thought that maybe there was more than meet the eyes, maybe this kid was even older than him.- Uhm, Hoshi.There was no moon that night, just a sea of velvet darkness, a row of street lamps flickered along the road, shone onto the wet sidewalk, splashing as they walked by.
Splash.
Hoshi yelped in surpised, Jihoon didn’t really care about whatever the kid was saying. He just hummed, the corners of his mouth tugging up, eyes crinkling. Two men of one noisily fuming and one silently contented just continued to walk, along the quite street, the puddles glistening like broken stars... - Hey.- Yes?- Had Soonyoung ever regretted leaving at that time? – Jihoon holds his teacup, legs folded up in the veranda, watching the sky. He truly looks like a golden ball of fur, Soonyoung thought.- Aish, hubby… Are you worried that I had gone sick of our married life?- Ha… I am being serious.- Eh… - Soonyoung looks thoughtful, yet expression light, like nothing really matters – No.- Really?- Yeah…- …. You used to mention a Minghao kid before?- Ha… It has been such a long time. There were Minghao, Chan, also baby Samuel… Well, I taught all of them. – The smile on Soonyoung’s face is sincere, maybe he is proud to talk about the kids, as always. Jihoon feels relieved.- You are quite weird, ha? It’s clear you were really close to them all, and yet you just leave…- That’s because I’m Hoshi.- Is that one of your personal brand again?- Haha… Well, no. I’m Hoshi, which means “Star”, you know? I’m a fallen star.- What the hell…- I’m a fallen star, bright only when I’m free. Something like that, you get it.Jihoon laughs, sincerely looks at Soonyoung’s concentrated face, clearly struggling to find the right words. But yeah, he gets it.- Then what about that Minghao kid?- What’s about what about him… - Soonyoung smiles – I think he will be fine.His look suddenly seems so far away.- And even if he’s not, me staying wouldn’t have helped him be, you know. Some people never manage to shine before their lights are gone, not because they want it, but it’s just how things are. We can’t do anything about that.- Yeah.They both falls into silence, listens to the waves kissing shores faraway. The smell of salt and of tea gently floats over their tiny veranda. - Hey, Soonyoung?- Yes?- Maybe Soonyoung not only fell, you also broke.- …- Some of your dust got on me, see? – Jihoon pretends to pat dust off his sleeves, Soonyoung naturally chimes in to laugh. Then, Jihoon looks back up.- I think I’m pretty bright too.The island is peaceful, the waves gentle, tapping onto sand. Laughters once again starts to fill the air, like dust of stars that is tossed onto the night sky.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
- Ouch!!!! GODDAMNIT THIS WORD!! I can’t fucking believe it!!! acj@#%$#ojbchdbh... Hoshi limped to the seaside fence, face twisted all over because of the really, really aching toe. It was his fault, really, he was strolling around in a really chipper mood, saw a seashell on the side of the track and in a fit of boredom, tried to kick it, realized there was a fucking bench beside the shell, and the impromptu action at the time was too late to take back…Normally, people would take a seat if they had hurt their toe, but Hoshi had… lost faith in that damn bench, so he was standing here, hurting, beneath seagulls that were probably snickering over his fate. When the pain had (somewhat) assuaged, Hoshi remembered to turn and give the bench a 10:10 eyeless glare, that would sent Jihoon rolling in laughter in a matter of seconds, literally, even though bird poop stained the ground. Damn, Hoshi missed the other despite having only been out for a couple of minutes, that soft fur ball (which hadn’t been as soft lately) who must be brewing tea at the time (since they ran out of coke). But he hadn’t wanted to leave. A ship was docked at the port, the sea was misty and seagulls occasionally dipped, calm yet stormy like the sea in Hoshi’s mind. It must have been nostalgia, bittersweet as ever, Hoshi thought, as dusk fell over backs, grey clouds shielded away dull blue lights. He stuffed his hands to the pockets of the worn jacket, it was getting chilly despite the lingering rays of lights, and among the sounds of the waves kissing sand, Hoshi could hear quiet footsteps patting on the track. It was a quiet road, separated from the city full of people with occasional pedestrians, yet this particular step, the way it sounded - familiar, calm, like Hoshi had heard it since and for forever. He turned with a blank mind and to no one’s surprise, came face to face with the past. It was Xu Minghao. ~~ Jihoon was not particularly fond of tea, as in, he much prefer coke. Not drinking some warm soothing tea in the middle of old Shanghai, in the midst of this chilly autumn, however, would have been a waste.Bubbles had started to form in the brewing pot. One wash of the pot, change of leaves, draining the first water. Jasmine aroma filled the air, around the dark attic, smelt warm, light. Jihoon took the pot to the balcony, settled himself between the pillows and blankets that Soonyoung had spread all around the space.Somebody had still not got home..He had no intention of turning on the light, just quietly sitting on the balcony as the last lights dwindled, listening to the clacking of vehicles, empty noises, buzzing music, Chinese talks that sounded like melodies of olden times. This city embraces the clacking, the buzzing, the white noises, the chattering along with the waves’ whispering, the dipping sand, the sound of ocean. In a brief moment, Jihoon wondered, if he was just a noise in the midst of everything this city held. Night-life Shanghai had started to form from the balcony’s view, with neon lights, road lamps, flickering signs, tall building littering the starless skies with make-shift lights. His Hoshi had always been bright, yet he had also been lost in this cruel, terrible, beautiful city, where even at a bird eye’s view, Jihoon could not find him. The door made a creaking sound. - Jihoon? Where are you? - Up here… Just when you thought of it …. - There’s tea. Again. - Hehhhh, I smelt it. Jihoon was still startled when Soonyoung came much too quickly, having sauntered through the room, despite having grown used to the tiny attic. The other felt cold, smelt like salt, the hand hugging the tea cup curled as if to suck out all the warmth, his back bent like a senior, it was ridiculous. Unsurprisingly, calmness replaced the storm in his stomach, harshly blowing just seconds ago. They giggled at the stupid stories share in-between sips of tea. “You see that noodle shop? I betcha the light is going to bust in like, one week…” “I don’t think what our downstairs neighbor are “discussing”, Soonyoung…” “Are you sure you slept until that hour…. That’s like, half a day of sleeping…” Silence eventually came after laughing fits. The balcony was dark, yet Jihoon could tell red had blossomed over all of Soonyoung’s cheek. He also got much much warmer. The way Soonyoung laid his head, still wet with mist on Jihoon’s shoulder was feather light, the way is stayed quiet was peaceful, just for a while, and then he started to speak. - Jihoon ah, I met that Xu kid today. Jihoon reached over, letting Soonyoung fingers tangled into his own.- He’s gone, Jihoonie. His grip on Soonyoung’s hand tightened, the other suppressing on long sigh. ~~ Minghao had been thin (as always), colder than Shanghai’s fall. A tiny bit of a smile lingered in the corner of his eyes, and Soonyoung suppressed the urge to wipe. He was supposed to be a runner, escaping the sight of the others, yet he found his own footsteps thumping toward’s Minghao’s direction, his own hands reaching out, pulling the other’s thin body into one tight hug. Like how it always had been. Words slided over, exchanged, clouded and vague like a dream that Soonyoung could not recover. He touched the slim fingers, the pointy ears, the black, long hair strays. It was Minghao, unmistakably, everything was Minghao, yet at the same time. it did not feel like him. - Hyung, it’s yours. – Minghao held out his hand with the necklace chain from years ago. The conviction of his eyes told Soonyoung to just accept it, so he did. - You have to go now? - Yes. - Take care. - You too, Hoshi-hyung. And as those words dropped, Xu Minghao left his embrace, turned away, towards the red skyline. For a fragment of a second, Soonyoung had wanted to reach out, pull Minghao back. Yet at the same time it felt like Minghao had dissipated into Shanghai’s air, like a cube of ice dropped into the ocean, and suddenly he couldn’t see the thin back of that kid anymore, just the dim, cloudy city, collapsing into this unnamed sadness.~~ - Soonyoung, I think we should go? - Go where? - Somewhere easy to find stars. ~~ Soonyoung swung his arm, the glare of the chain was sharp, stark against the waters, before sinking down to who-knows-where, into the saltwater of Shanghai port. Soonyoung straightened his back, pulled the soft person beside him, who had wrapped himself into a blanket into a hug, despite hisses from Jihoon. - Yes, let’s go. – he said. Jihoon smiled, feeling as if he had been swallowed by starlight.